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Regarding Custom IoT ARM Quad-Core Board


sakibnaz

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Hello All.

 

I am fairly new in Embedded Linux and in this forum. I need to develop a small size IoT ARM Quad Core Board.  I like to have some advise on my project's proper development path.

 

First let me share my target needs of the project:

 

-1. ARM CPU (run Linux) - I think for my project, Quad-Core is more than enough
-2. RAM 1GB/2GB
-3. eMMC 16GB for OS Boot

-4. SD Card for file storage (up-to 512GB)

-5. Two USB2.0 (One Host Mode and One Device Mode) and one USB3.0 (Only Host Mode is Ok. Its for faster file transfer to connected external Portable HDD)
-6. Capacitive Touchscreen 3.5 Inch (as we will run some Python based GUI App)
-7. Sensor connection via GPIO, UART, I2C, SPI  (Sensors are Ambient Light, Sound, Motion PIR, 9-Axis MEMS Accelerometer, Gyro, Magnetometer)
-8. Wireless including GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0

-9. Small Form factor (if find any Core CPU Module is great, else need to do custom PCB design)

-10. Less heat generation

 

Now based on the above spec USB 3.0 feature makes my choice very narrow as there are very few CPU supports USB 3.0. So far I am thinking about RK3328 or Allwinner H6.  RK3339 will be great and more powerful but its very costly so don't wanted to use it.

 

My ques are:

 

- Based on my online research for start development I can use Orange Pi Lite 2 (in case of Allwinner H6) or Rock64 (for RK3328). But which one will be best choice for my project? In terms of implement features, easy of development, available online resource ... etc?

 

- is there any Open Hardware project which I can consider as base of my study. All the available SBC's are open source and only Schematic is available.

 

- Anyone know any small Core CPU Module (SMT or DPI) based on the H6 or RK3328)?

 

Thanks. Looking forward your guideline.

 

Regards.

 

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Based on your research you should know that H6 kernel support in mainline is just starting, whereas RK3328 is fairly well supported in mainline and in a actively maintained 4.4 BSP kernel whereas Allwinners public available 4.9 kernel didn't got any update after the first commit: https://github.com/Allwinner-Homlet/H6-BSP4.9-linux

 

In case you don't get any newer and properly maintained BSP Kernel, H6 on a BSP kernel is IMO a nogo. RKs 4.4 kernel gets at least active maintenance. In terms of mainline the 3328 is well enough supported that you can stick to the next LTS vanilla kernel and then go from LTS to LTS kernel for your device. RockChip contributes actively to mainline their SoC, whereas Allwinner gets their mainlinesupport from the community, that's why I think RKs support will be faster. If you have the money to hire someone who does help, bringing this stuff to mainline.  I like the community efforts to mainline SoCs but I must admit that I think RockChip seems to be a 'better player' on the field than Allwinner in terms of contribution.  If the price allows it, this should be honored so that other SoC makers see that there are good reasons to contribute to mainline too. 

Edited by chwe
typo
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Thank you very much for reply. I personally more biased with RockChip than Allwinner.

 

However, I did checked the prices of CPU's but 3329 is very expensive and it gets exceed or target BoM cost that's why I am more like to use 3328. But surely I agree 3329 in current trend and resource,  support is more rich.

 

How will be to use 3328 you think and If I consider my development based on Pine64's Rock64 or Firefly's ROC-RK3328-CC?

 

Regards.

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13 hours ago, sakibnaz said:

is there any Open Hardware project which I can consider as base of my study. All the available SBC's are open source

 

These 'open source' claims are BS almost everywhere. You need to pick one of the few Open Source Hardware protagonists, for example Olimex: https://www.olimex.com/Products/SOM204/ (RK3328 in the pipeline so if you're able to wait until 2019 maybe that's something for you)

 

Apart from this I can not follow since RK3328, RK3329, RK3229 and RK3399 are different beasts (only two of them receiving good 'open source' support by Rockchip and RK3329 not even existing)

 

Also worth to mention: Assumptions (like USB3 == great performance) should be questioned/checked.

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@sakibnaz, IoT usually doesn't need quad-core-surpreme. What I read above, beside USB3.0, an Allwinner A20 would be sufficent.

That said, how much data would you have to transfer that USB Attached SCSI (UASP) wouldn't do the job for you (35MB/s).

 

The afore mentioned OLIMEX and A20 are available - with good Linux Mainline support.

 

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19 hours ago, sakibnaz said:

Do you know how the performance of 3328 Boards like Rock64 for USB 3.0 Data?

 

It's all there, just use the search functionality this forum provides:

 

 

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